Bieber Tourways out of business after 72 years

A fixture on the region's highways for 72 years, financially troubled Bieber Tourways announced it is going out of business Friday in a notice posted on its website.

"Unfortunately, as a result of reduced ridership and mounting expenses, the company has terminated operations immediately," the notice said. "We are disappointed in announcing the closure of the company."

A message on the Kutztown-based company's answering service said all trips to New York, Philadelphia and charters were cancelled immediately.

A hand-scrawled sign on the Inter-City Bus Terminal in Reading announced all bus service is canceled until further notice, as of 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Further information related to the closure, the company announced, will be posted on social media in the coming days.

Calls to the Kutztown-based company went unanswered. Bieber owner Steven G. Haddad could not be reached Friday for comment.

Bieber was Reading's only daily bus service to the Lehigh Valley, New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.

Klein Transportation Co. of Douglassville announced Friday it will provide bus service along Bieber's route through the Lehigh Valley to New York City — Reading, Kutztown, Wescosville and Hellertown, plus Douglassville.

Alison Klein Sherman, vice president, said the service will begin Monday.

Tickets will be available for purchase at OurBus.com or the OurBus app, she said. OurBus is a New York based company that books transportation through local carriers.

Details on Klein schedules, bus stop locations and fares will be available over the weekend, Sherman said.

Derek Sheldon of Exeter Township, principal in the start-up Clydesdale Bus Co., said his research indicates an estimated 100,000 riders used Bieber service annually at the Reading terminal.

Sheldon said he is poised to initiate bus service from Reading to New York City, but is pursuing additional investors.

For generations, motor coaches with the Bieber logo were fixtures along the interstate from Reading to New York City.

Founded as a trucking company by Carl R. Bieber Sr. in 1928, the company expanded to include charter bus service in 1946, according to a company history. In 1976, Carl R. Bieber Jr. took over the company. Haddad bought it in 2001, and acquired competitor Capitol Trailways in 2008.

Bieber Transportation Group had a fleet of 54 buses, including several luxury coaches, its website says.

Beginning last July, Bieber had undergone a series of financial and logistical setbacks.

After racking up $214,000 in unpaid user fees and other costs, the company lost its space at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey bus terminal in July. Trans-Bridge Lines took over Bieber's space and implemented service from Wescosville and Hellertown, but not Reading.

The company continued service, dropping riders off at a few New York curbside locations. During this time, Bieber was issued more than 200 parking tickets and related fines over $90,000, although reportedly $8,000 of that was dismissed.

Last week things seemed to be turning around for Bieber. The company received a one-year permit from the New York City Department of Transportation for a bus stop in Manhattan.

In its announcement, Bieber said it has been privileged to provide transportation services to the Greater Berks and Lehigh Valley communities.

"We would like to express our thanks to our loyal customers who have supported us over the years. We also want to thank our employees whose hard work and dedication contributed to the many years of successful operations."